Lone Wolf - Day 7 - Edwin's Journal

A new day arose and so marked the possibility of a new journey. Today too was perfect for such a venture across new places. Today I thought of visiting the remaining parts of my hometown. Today, I got the possibility of getting off early, but not too early.

I rode my scooter across to “Aquaduct Bridge” first. It was an old abandoned covered water canal below and walkway on the top. It was famous because it was a film spot of a film adored by Aluva people and due to that more people just liked to walk across the bridge. It was not like any regular bridge. It is never big for vehicles even cars to go through and was stretched for a long distance and was above houses and roadways. I got on to one edge and parked my vehicle there. I walked the rest of the way forward. It was nice to walk through because it first crosses some houses, then River Periyar, then some houses and roads, some grounds. It was altogether fun. After going some distance, I returned back to where I started.

After getting back, I rode my way to Manapuram. On my way, I got off at “Marthandavarma Bridge”. It was a small yet eminent bridge because it was build during a king’s era. I stood there for a minute and felt the bridge shake due to heavy vehicles that are passing through. I then continued my journey onto Manapuram which is famous for the Manapuram temple near the banks of Periyar.

I reached near “Harithavanam” which is a small park on the edge of Periyar and a few meters away from the temple. I went inside and asked whether I can visit it. The person in the counter, it’s ok, but only with a ticket and the price was really high. I didn’t have that much money with me at that moment and so I decided not to enter. There was a small forest opposite to the park and I thought it’s best to wander in the forest than to enter the park with a fee.

I first went to the shore of Periyar and washed my face and then walked on through the forest. It was getting darker by the minute and the place filled with trees all over was really started to amuse me. It gave me a chill feeling. As it got darker, my heart starts weighing more. I got a strange feeling that something was going to happen or whether I’ll be alright until I exit from this forest. I hoped that no dogs or snakes were present there near me, for that would end in an utter disaster with no one to know where I’m at until someone who enters the forest finds me. Thoughts like that was soon starting to creep me out big time.

I arrived at one end and started retracing my steps back to where I began. It was nearly darker as the sun has begun to set down. The sky looked red from the small portion in between the leaves and inside it was altogether dark. Even a tiny little sound has started to scare my heart inside. I was on the verge of thinking whether all this getting here was a total mistake. But I knew that scaring at that thought is not going to get me somewhere. I have to go on myself. I walked and walked until I finally reached the place where I first entered the forest.

I went near the scooter only to find a big dog near. It scared the hell out of me! What will I do? How am I going to get away if I can’t get on my scooter? Thought rumbled inside my mind.

And through that dim light, I managed to see that that dog was chained to the wall. It was the Guard dog. I approached my scooter slowly and that dog started barking on seeing me. For truth, I really was scared for that moment and I saw that the dog can’t get as much close to the scooter, so I got on it and rode off fast.

I rode off to Manapuram temple and sat on the edge of the River Periyar for a few moments. It was such a cool and peaceful moment there, alone with the calm smooth water slowly flowing away. And I saw that the bat from the tree in the “Aluva Palace” was flying in a circle all around on top of the river. It was really fun to watch as they flew from each direction. And there I sat, with thoughts of utter beam as that day ended in solitude with even the sun abandoning me. I knew that today must come to an end and I have more days ahead of me in connecting to nature as much as possible. To see what’s not been seen. To hear what’s not heard and to understand nature as it really is. But for this precise moment, home is my next destination. And so, I walked to my scooter and rode it, with a heart filled to its content and a smile as shining as ever.